Stand Up, Get Up, Gear Up, Fuel Up

I keep ripping the back of my heel open. Not on purpose. But I split the back of my heel open a few weeks ago and it's super hard to heal, especially since I run so much. This morning, I didn't have band-aids so I taped it before my workout. Yeah. Taped it. I remembered how I used to tape blisters and hot spots with duct tape during multi-day backpacking trips. I didn't have duct tape, so I used athletic tape today. It worked. Sort of. Not really.

The saddest.

You better believe I stopped to buy band-aids on the way home.

And, since the weather is getting colder, I layered up. Bojan of the November Project wrote a great post about layering and "weatherproofing" your run. Staying warm is serious business. This morning, I pulled out my wonderful, wonderful Patagonia capilene long-sleeved shirt that M gave me. (I love you, M. I love you, Patagonia.) I put a hoodie on over it and I was warm en route to my workout. But I failed to honor one basic rule: My base layer was a cotton tank. And you know, the minute I stopped moving, my body temperature plummeted (as it always does) and that cotton was damp and chilly. What was I thinking. Come on. I know better than that. Ugh.

So I'm not great at keeping band-aids around and I'm not great at dressing myself warmly. You know what I am good at?

Food. Specifically, fuel.

I've been eating a lot of eggs for breakfast (eggs are the most perfect protein source!), but I totally wanted carbs this morning. I argued myself out of buying a bagel and I'm so glad that I did. Because this oatmeal filled me up the right way.

America runs on Dunkin'. I run on Dunkin' and home cooked oatmeal.

Good For You Coconut-Almond Oatmeal

1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup coconut-almond milk (I use Califia Farms)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Combine oatmeal and milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring regularly, until the oatmeal absorbs the milk. Do not let the milk come to a boil or burn. I cook my oatmeal for about 15 minutes or until the oatmeal has thickened.

Stir in the cinnamon, almond butter, and coconut flakes. Eat hot!